1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cart loading equipment, and in particular to automated equipment for loading newspaper bundles into carts.
2. Background
Newspaper bundle loading equipment is known in the art and serves to load newspaper bundles into wheeled carts so that the bundles can then be conveniently handled and distributed. As is known in the art, there exist xe2x80x9cfootballxe2x80x9d bundles, so called because of their somewhat rounded shape. These bundles can sometimes present difficulties with respect to the tearing thereof when loaded into a cart. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a means for handling such bundles that minimizes any tearing thereof. In addition, it would also be desirable to have greater operator accessibility to such loading equipment so that, during use, any interruptions of operation can be more quickly dealt with. In general, it would further be desirable to provide for an overlap of functions to provide for maximum throughput of bundles and do so in a manner consistent with simplicity of loader design and construction.
The present invention comprises a cart loading machine that provides for improved operating efficiencies, and includes a cart loading station, an in-feed conveyor, a pattern forming area, a carrier sheet and wiping mechanism, and a fork loading apparatus.
The cart loading station includes a framework defining a cart loading position and a cart waiting position. Drive means provide for ejecting a loaded cart from the cart loading position and for moving an empty cart laterally from the cart waiting position to the cart loading position.
An in-feed conveyor usually provides for delivering a single file line of bundles to the pattern forming area. Pairs of bundles are delivered to a first position adjacent to the pattern forming area and adjacent a pushing plate. The pushing plate moves a first pair of bundles from the first position on to a carrier sheet located in a pattern forming area. A second pair of bundles are then subsequently moved from the first position onto the carrier sheet. In this manner a pattern of four bundles is formed on the carrier sheet in the pattern forming area as the carrier rests in a retracted position. The carrier is then moved from its retracted position to an extended cart loading position wherein the four bundles are then located directly above the top of the empty cart in the cart loading area. Thus, the pattern of bundles is first formed in a pattern forming area, after which the fully formed pattern is then moved to a position directly over the cart.
The fork loading apparatus includes a fork with individual tines that extend horizontally and can be moved between an extended bundle receiving position and a retracted position. In addition, the fork can be moved vertically to a plurality of positions between a top position and a bottom position. With an empty cart in the cart loading position, the fork is moved to the top position and then to the extended position. The tines are spaced so that they extend into the interior of the cart through correspondingly spaced vertical support channels forming an end wall of the cart. With the carrier in its extended position having carried a fully formed pattern to the cart loading position, a wiping mechanism is extended to contact the bundles as they sit on the carrier so that the carrier can move back to its retracted position without carrying the bundles therewith. In this manner, the bundles are stripped or swept from the carrier whereupon they then fall into the cart and land on the fork tines. The wiping mechanism is then retracted to permit the movement of a subsequent pattern of bundles to a position above the cart. While extended, the fork tines are incremented down a sufficient distance to be in the proper position to receive this subsequent layer of bundles. The above operations are repeated until the fork is at the bottom position and the cart is fully loaded with bundles. The fork is then moved to the retracted position and the fully loaded cart is ejected from the loading position so that a further cart can be loaded as above described. As, or just prior to, the carrier moving back to its retracted position, further bundle pairs can be loaded thereon. Of course, bundle pairs can be loaded into the first position adjacent the pusher at any time that such area is open and the main pusher is retracted. Therefore, the present invention provides for an overlap in functions with respect to pattern forming, carrier retraction and regulated movement of bundle pairs into the first position. As a result thereof, the present invention maximizes the speed at which a cart can be loaded.
When the bundles are of the football type, i.e. more rounded than rectangular, then a modified loading procedure from the one above described is used. The modified procedure involves a re-forking strategy. It has been discovered, for example, with three layers of football bundles, that the middle layer can be forced outwardly against the walls of the cart by the weight of the third layer thereon and as a result of the roundness of all the bundles. This force can be sufficient wherein, as the bundles are moved downward to receive a fourth layer, the middle layer bundles can come in contact with wall portions of the cart, such as horizontal cross members or door mechanisms, that can cause tearing thereof. The loading device of the present invention includes a computer control, and in particular, the control can be programmed to regulate the number of layers permitted on the fork before it will be required to move downward to the bottom or lowermost position and deposit such number of bundle layers in the cart. Thus, for example, the loading mechanism of the present invention can be programmed to permit only two layers on the fork at any one time. Therefore, after two such layers are deposited thereon, the fork is lowered to the bottom position withdrawn to the retracted position thereby depositing two layers on the bottom of the cart. The fork is then lifted to the top position and extended for the loading thereon of two further bundle layers whereupon it is again moved downward, but in this case to a position just above the top of the previously deposited bundles. The fork is again retracted resulting in the placement of the further two bundle layers on top of the first two. Of course, this process is repeated until the cart is fully loaded. It will be appreciated by those of skill that this re-forking process greatly facilitates the handling of football bundles in preventing unwanted tearing thereof by limiting any outward pressure exerted on a particular layer or layers of the bundles. The control of the present invention is programmable to suit the particular bundle characteristics such that any number of layers, for example, one, two or three can be selected as the maximum number between re-forking operations.